Killing, Summoning Souls!

The sky was clear and bright, with a gentle, refreshing breeze.

The streets at the entrance of Cangyuan Bridge were lined with stalls, where peddlers and laborers called out their wares:

"Buns, hot meat buns—"

"Sugar cakes for sale!"

"Osmanthus cakes, fresh out of the oven!"

This area was considered the "snack street" of Heaven Capital City. Pedestrians moved like a weaving shuttle, the atmosphere bustling and noisy, with young masters and misses in silk robes strolling leisurely everywhere.

A girl with delicate features walked down the street. Her form-fitting martial attire outlined a well-proportioned figure, and her dark hair was held in place by a simple silver hairpin, giving her a free-spirited and dashing air.

Passersby cast frequent glances her way—

Martial culture was deeply rooted in Great Yuan, so such attire was normal enough; the main issue was that this girl's eating habits were simply too...

She had been eating non-stop since she started at the beginning of the street. Her pink cheeks were puffed out, her lips were slick with oil, and she was still holding two pig trotters in her hands.

Her appearance was of the graceful school, but her eating style was of the bold school, creating a stark contrast between the two.

"Miss, slow down, wait for me!"

Qing'er, wearing her hair in double buns, trotted along on her short legs, clutching bags of food so large she could barely see the road ahead.

This was the daily routine for the mistress and her maid.

They would eat from one end of Cangyuan Bridge to the other as an appetizer, then head to Desheng Inn to order four dishes and a soup for their main meal, before walking back the same way to aid digestion—while picking up some dessert along the way.

And all of this combined was merely one of their three daily meals.

"The martial arts of Martial Saint Mountain cultivate both internal and external strength, focusing on refining essence into qi and tempering the body; eating itself is a form of cultivation to replenish essence."

"Miss possesses the True Martial Body; her refinement speed is too fast, and her potential is virtually limitless, so her appetite is terrifyingly large... She spends over a dozen taels of silver a day just on ordinary food, and if it were meat from exotic beasts, the cost would multiply several times over."

"Although the Shen Family is a prominent household, they do not engage in trade or business and have no source of income; how could they withstand such consumption?"

Qing'er couldn't help but feel anxious.

Shen Zhixia had been "chased" back to Heaven Capital City to visit her family precisely because she had eaten so much that she had nearly driven the exotic beasts on the mountain to extinction.

She hadn't even been back for a few days, and she had already exhausted three chefs... There was truly no other choice but to come out and forage for food.

If this continued, she would likely eat the Shen Family into bankruptcy...

Suddenly, a person flashed through Qing'er's mind.

"That's right, Chen Mo has money!"

Not to mention how lucrative the Heavenly Qilin Guard was, Chen Mo's mother's maiden family was a wealthy clan with influence spanning the region!

The He Family controlled the top-tier sect "Misty Rain Pavilion," with influence spread across two commanderies and one circuit in Jiangnan. Their water transport business alone was incredibly profitable; supporting the Miss would certainly be more than enough!

"And he isn't as unbearable as the rumors suggest. His strength is on par with the Miss, placing him among the top prodigies, and he is now a great hero who slays demons..."

The more Qing'er thought about it, the more reliable it seemed.

Da-da-da—

Just then, the sound of urgent hoofbeats came from the street entrance.

"The Heavenly Qilin Guard is on official business, move aside!"

Hearing this familiar voice, Qing'er looked up and saw a horse as red as a cloud treading on snow galloping from the street entrance.

Sitting on the horse were a man and a woman. The man had a tall, straight figure and was as handsome as jade, holding the reins in his hands. Behind him sat a dashing woman, her blue and white hezi skirt fluttering in the wind.

Pedestrians on the road moved to both sides. According to the Ceremonial Code, riding horses in busy districts was strictly prohibited, with offenders facing fifty lashes.

But rules were meant to constrain ordinary people, and the Heavenly Qilin Guard was not among them.

Even if they overturned every stall on this street, the merchants would still have to offer a fawning smile, not daring to show the slightest displeasure.

"Chen Mo?"

"Who is the woman behind him?"

Qing'er's brows furrowed tightly.

To be able to ride the same horse, their relationship was naturally extraordinary. That woman's features were refined and elegant, and her looks were not inferior to the Miss...

Danger! Danger! Danger!

"Miss... Miss?"

Shen Zhixia was buried in her pig trotter, oblivious to the world outside.

Qing'er: "..."

Your man is about to be snatched away, and you don't have a shred of crisis awareness...

Qing'er's mindset had shifted from "worrying about her own cabbage being arched by a pig" to "worrying that her own pig was too gluttonous, and the cabbage had been snatched away by someone else"...

"Giddy up!"

Chen Mo galloped on horseback, racing toward the west side of the city.

Li Yuan sat sideways behind him, her legs pressed together and her hands clutching her skirt, a lingering flush still staining her cheeks.

They had just exited Music Performance Street when they received a message from the office: a case had emerged, and Li Yuan was needed in the west city immediately.

Li Yuan had specifically chosen to wear a dress last night, which made riding a horse difficult; she had taken a carriage to the Music Bureau. Now, with the office urging her so urgently, she had no choice but to share a horse with Chen Mo.

Feeling the gazes cast upon them from all around, she felt shy and had nowhere to hide, so she could only grit her teeth and endure it.

"Chen Mo, is that girl really your informant?" Li Yuan asked aloud.

She knew Chen Mo had planted many eyes and ears throughout the city; it was thanks to his incredibly precise intelligence that they had captured the Yan Liang brothers, so she hadn't doubted it at first.

But now, the more she thought about it, the more wrong it felt.

That girl was stunningly beautiful and an Occultist to boot—why would she be willing to stay in a place of ill repute?

Chen Mo understood Li Yuan's thoughts and turned his head to say, "Her background is special, so it's not convenient for me to disclose it. Staying at the Music Bureau was her own decision; we are merely in a cooperative relationship, each taking what we need."

"Oh."

Hearing this, Li Yuan didn't press further.

Chen Mo's lips curled slightly as he smiled and said, "What, are you jealous?"

A flash of panic crossed Li Yuan's eyes. "I was just asking casually, who's jealous? Besides, we're just colleagues; why would I be jealous..."

As she spoke, her voice lost its conviction.

He had touched her all over, and they had even slept in the same bed—what kind of colleagues did that?

"By the way, why were you sleeping next to me last night..."

"I told you, I was looking for wine!"

"Who looks for wine inside a bed?"

"Shut up!"

White Pagoda Street was located in the west city, an area surrounded by residential districts. Most of the people living here were wealthy merchants or officials. Mansions with white walls and grey tiles stood in rows, the blue-brick roads were clean and tidy, and willow and osmanthus trees were planted along the sides of the road.

At this moment, a crowd had gathered at the entrance of an alley by the street, whispering among themselves.

"Tsk tsk, Old Lin died so miserably."

"Indeed, at his age, to suffer such a vicious hand."

"No telling who he offended..."

Hearing the sound of hooves, the crowd turned to look, their expressions changing instantly as they hurriedly stepped aside.

Chen Mo flipped off his horse, and Li Yuan jumped down gracefully, clutching her skirt.

Tying the reins to a tree, the two walked to the gate of a residence in the alley. The officers from the Six Gates had already cordoned off the area, and the guard at the door stepped forward to block them.

"Official business, bystanders..."

Li Yuan flashed her badge, and the man's tone faltered as he bowed. "Commander, please enter."

The Six Gates were under the jurisdiction of the Three Judicial Offices, while the Heavenly Qilin Guard was an agency with special imperial authorization, dedicated to handling extraordinary matters. Their duties often overlapped, so they frequently collaborated on cases.

Since this case had reached the Heavenly Qilin Guard, it meant it was certainly not as simple as a common homicide.

Entering the courtyard, they saw a corpse covered by a white cloth placed in the center, with several officers carefully examining the area in the corner.

"Commander Li."

A middle-aged man in a green robe with a long saber at his waist strode over.

As he approached, the man's expression stiffened, and he stared at Li Yuan in disbelief.

"Commander Li, you are..."

In a blue and white hezi dress, her dark hair styled in a bun, and with her cherry-red lips and white teeth, she looked quite like a delicate, sheltered maiden.

Was this really the cold and rigid Li Yuan?!

Had she been possessed?

Li Yuan's expression was somewhat unnatural. "I had a social engagement last night and didn't have time to change."

The middle-aged man snapped back to reality, suppressing his curiosity without asking further, and turned his gaze toward the handsome man beside her.

"And this is?"

"Commander of the Water Bureau, Chen Mo."

Upon hearing this name, everyone present grew solemn.

Tracking the Ten Heavenly Demons was the duty of the Six Gates, so they naturally knew how high the value of this "Number One Demon Slayer" was!

"Commander Chen's reputation is like thunder to the ears. Seeing you today, you are truly a man of exceptional talent!"

The middle-aged man's voice was hearty.

This wasn't entirely empty flattery; he had handled cases for many years and was most skilled at reading people.

The man before them was as elegant as a jade tree in the wind, his bearing heroic and imposing. With a sharp, hidden glint in his eyes, he was clearly no mere pretty face.

Li Yuan introduced him from the side, "This is Shangguan Yunfei, an Investigator for the Search and Arrest Division of the Six Gates."

Having said that, as if fearing Chen Mo might misunderstand, she added a specific explanation, "I have collaborated with him on cases a few times before."

Chen Mo was certainly not so narrow-minded; he nodded and said, "Investigator Shangguan, I have long admired your reputation."

This Shangguan Yunfei did indeed have a notable background. His case-solving rate was exceptionally high, second only to Lin Jingzhu, and he was one of the Four Great Constables of the Six Gates.

His father, Shangguan Ming, was the Chief of Transmission, responsible for internal and external memorials and the secret petitions of the people—a figure at the very center of power.

After the pleasantries, Shangguan Yunfei steered the conversation toward the case.

"The deceased is named Lin Huai, a minor official in the Ministry of Works who had only recently retired."

"He had no wife or children, and lived alone. It was only this morning, after neighbors smelled the rot, that they reported it to the authorities and discovered the body. He has likely been dead for three days..."

Arriving before the corpse, a bailiff lifted the white cloth. The moment he saw the body, Chen Mo understood why the Heavenly Qilin Guard had been summoned for this case.

The man's state of death was utterly wretched. A thin layer of skin clung to his bones, as if he had been drained into a dried husk. His chest had been sliced open, his internal organs churned into a bloody pulp, and his intestines were dragged out entirely.

His eyes bulged, his expression twisted, and his face was etched with pure terror; it appeared he had endured these agonies while still alive before finally drawing his last breath.

Shangguan Yunfei stated, "There are signs of searching in the house, but the valuables remain. The killer was not motivated by robbery; this should be a vendetta."

Li Yuan frowned, "To be tortured to such an extent—what kind of deep-seated grudge could this be?"

Shangguan Yunfei shook his head, "I inquired with the neighbors nearby. Lin Huai was usually low-key and humble, with a very good reputation... Besides, what kind of enemies could a retired minor official from the Ministry of Works possibly have, such that they would dare to commit such a brutal crime under the very feet of the Emperor?"

Li Yuan mused, "With all his flesh and blood drained away, the killer is likely a demonic cultivator..."

Shangguan Yunfei expressed his agreement.

Chen Mo crouched beside the corpse, examined it for a moment, and said, "Not a demonic cultivator. It is a demon."

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere turned deathly silent.

The few bailiffs exchanged glances, and Shangguan Yunfei frowned, "Commander Chen, are you certain? The Heaven Capital City is protected by the Eight Directions Demon-Purging Array; how could a member of the Demon Race possibly slip in?"

Years ago, when demons and specters ran rampant and the people were plunged into misery, the Three Sages stepped in to drive them out and laid down the great array within the Heaven Capital City.

Whenever a demon set foot within, the array would automatically trigger, drawing upon the "Demon-Slaying Crossbow," a heavy weapon located on the Star Observation Platform, to execute the intruder.

"No matter how profound an array is, it is not omnipotent. The population of the Heaven Capital City is vast, and the spiritual energies are chaotic. As long as the concentration of demonic aura does not reach a certain threshold, it is highly likely the array will fail to detect it," Chen Mo said.

With the enhancement of his title and his surging spiritual perception, he had "sniffed" a trace of demonic aura from the corpse.

Although it was faint, it was unmistakable.

Watching his resolute expression, the bailiffs still found it hard to believe.

This was the capital of the Great Yuan, a place where great experts gathered. What kind of demon would be so bold?

At this moment, Chen Mo asked, "You said earlier, how long has this man been dead?"

Shangguan Yunfei replied, "Judging by the level of decay, no more than three days."

"I hope there is still time."

Chen Mo pulled a bronze candle lamp from his robes.

A spark ignited at his fingertip, lighting the wick, and he placed it beside the corpse.

This was the Soul-Guiding Lamp confiscated from Daoist You. It still contained lamp oil, and once lit, it could attract nearby wandering souls.

A moment later, the candlelight flickered, and a translucent, smoke-like phantom slowly emerged.

Although the features were somewhat blurred, one could still tell it was the face of Lin Huai!

Hiss!

A collective gasp of cold air echoed around them!

It was the first time any of them had witnessed such a scene!

Shangguan Yunfei's voice was somewhat dry, "Commander Chen is also versed in the methods of ghost cultivation?"

Chen Mo said indifferently, "Just a few superficial tricks."

Shangguan Yunfei thought to himself that it made sense; if he didn't have some skills, how could he have dealt with the thousand-faced Qin Wuxiang?

Chen Mo walked up to the wandering soul and asked, "Lin Huai, tell me, who killed you?"

The wandering soul of Lin Huai remained expressionless, turning a deaf ear to his question.

Chen Mo asked a few more times, but Lin Huai still did not react, and his figure grew increasingly faint, nearly on the verge of dissipating.

Chen Mo furrowed his brows and attempted to lock onto the soul with his spiritual sense.

He exhaled, his voice booming like a clap of spring thunder:

"LIN HUAI!!"

The angry shout was deafening, making everyone present feel their scalps tighten.

Lin Huai suddenly jolted awake, his vacant expression twisting as if he had seen something that filled him with extreme terror.

His lips trembled, and a voice was squeezed out from between his teeth:

"De... Demon!!"

Whoosh—

A gentle breeze swept past, and the wandering soul dissipated into thin air.

The bailiffs stood frozen in place, and it took a long while for them to regain their senses, a chill running down their spines!

It really was a demon!

Shangguan Yunfei clenched his fists, his expression grave. "This case is of great importance; it is beyond our ability to handle. We must return and report to the yamen immediately!"

It would have been one thing back in Tongling County, as it was merely a subordinate prefecture, but this was the capital of the Great Yuan!

Right at the foot of the Imperial City, a member of the Demon Race had actually committed murder...

There was going to be a massive disaster this time!

The bailiffs carefully lifted the corpse onto a stretcher, preparing to take it back to the yamen.

Shangguan Yunfei cupped his hands toward Chen Mo with a look of admiration. "Truly, a great reputation is well-deserved. If not for the guidance of General Chen, I fear we would still be kept in the dark."

Li Yuan looked at Chen Mo, her eyes filled with adoration.

She hadn't expected this scoundrel to be not only formidable in a fight but also so brilliant at solving cases, spotting the clues at a single glance...

Noticing her look, which was much like that of a little fan girl, Shangguan Yunfei's admiration for Chen Mo grew even further.

He even managed to win over General Li; what a ruthless man...

After leaving White Pagoda Street, Chen Mo intended to escort Li Yuan back, but she adamantly refused, calling for a horse-drawn carriage herself and leaving. It seemed she was too embarrassed to share a horse with him.

Chen Mo headed straight home.

In any case, today counted as fieldwork, so he didn't need to report back to the office.

Upon returning to the Chen Estate, he passed through the front hall and, while walking by the dining room, heard voices coming from inside:

"Zhixia, eat more."

"If that's not enough, I'll have the cook make more."

Chen Mo walked over to see the table laden with delicacies. Shen Zhixia was sitting in her chair, looking somewhat uneasy, while He Yuzhi kept piling food into her bowl until it was nearly a small mountain.

Seeing Chen Mo return, Shen Zhixia lowered her head and hid behind the mountain of food, not daring to look at him.

I have no idea what's gotten into Qing'er, she muttered to herself. She usually stops me, but today she insisted that I come to the Chen Estate for a meal...